Jaipur, Aug. 5 -- The Centre has ruled out granting Mangarh Dham the status of a monument of national importance, saying extensive modern development at the historic tribal freedom movement site translates to it no longer meets the archaeological criteria under the law. The decision, disclosed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, drew criticism from former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) MP Rajkumar Roat, who accused the BJP-led government of disrespecting tribal history and sentiments. The clarification came in response to an unstarred question by Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal on whether the Centre was considering the long-pending demand to declare Mangarh Dham a national monument. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the Ministry of Culture had received representations seeking the site's declaration under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958. However, an inspection found substantial modern development and construction at the site. Shekhawat said Mangarh Dham no longer retained the archaeological characteristics, authenticity and integrity required for declaration as a monument of national importance under the Act. He also said no proposal to grant it national monument status was currently under consideration. Located on the Rajasthan-Gujarat border, Mangarh Dham is associated with the tribal freedom movement led by Govind Guru and is referred to as the "Jallianwala Bagh of Rajasthan". On November 17, 1913, British forces opened fire on thousands of Bhil tribals gathered at Mangarh Hill, killing an estimated 1,500 people. The Centre's stand comes despite the National Monuments Authority (NMA) recommending in 2022 that Mangarh Hill be declared a national monument. The recommendation was submitted to the Ministry of Culture on July 6 that year under then NMA chairman Tarun Vijay....